Poinsettia plant named ‘Dueouvert’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct cultivar of Poinsettia plant named ‘Dueouvert’, characterized by its upright to outwardly spreading and uniformly mounded plant habit; freely branching habit; early flowering habit; inflorescences with large red-colored flower bracts; and excellent post-production longevity.

Botanical designation: Euphorbia pulcherrima Willd.

Cultivar denomination: ‘DUEOUVERT’.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Poinsettia plant, botanically known as Euphorbia pulcherrima Willd., and hereinafter referred to by the name ‘Dueouvert’.

The new Poinsettia plant is a product of a planned breeding program conducted by the Inventor in Rheinberg, Germany. The objective of the breeding program is to create new early-flowering Poinsettia plants with attractive flower bract orientation and coloration.

The new Poinsettia plant originated from a cross-pollination made by the Inventor in July, 2008 in Rheinberg, Germany of a proprietary selection of Euphorbia pulcherrima Willd. identified as code number E-05-0718, not patented, as the female, or seed, parent with a proprietary selection of Euphorbia pulcherrima Willd. identified as code number F-03-19, not patented, as the male, or pollen, parent. The new Poinsettia plant was discovered and selected by the Inventor as a flowering plant from within the progeny of the stated cross-pollination in a controlled greenhouse environment in Rheinberg, Germany in December, 2011.

Asexual reproduction of the new Poinsettia plant by terminal vegetative cuttings in a controlled greenhouse environment in Rheinberg, Germany since January, 2012 has shown that the unique features of this new Poinsettia plant are stable and reproduced true to type in successive generations of asexual reproduction.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Plants of the new Poinsettia have not been observed under all possible environmental conditions and cultural practices. The phenotype may vary somewhat with variations in environmental conditions such as temperature, daylength and light intensity, without, however, any variance in genotype.

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined to be the unique characteristics of ‘Dueouvert’. These characteristics in combination distinguish ‘Dueouvert’ as a new and distinct Poinsettia plant:

-   -   1. Upright to outwardly spreading and uniformly mounded plant         habit.     -   2. Freely branching habit.     -   3. Early flowering habit.     -   4. Inflorescences with large dark red-colored flower bracts.     -   5. Excellent post-production longevity.

Plants of the new Poinsettia differ primarily from plants of the female parent selection in flowering habit as plants of the new Poinsettia flower earlier than plants of the female parent selection. In addition, plants of the new Poinsettia have larger flower bracts than plants of the female parent selection.

Plants of the new Poinsettia differ primarily from plants of the male parent selection in flowering habit as plants of the new Poinsettia flower earlier than plants of the male parent selection.

Plants of the new Poinsettia can be compared to plants of Euphorbia pulcherrima Willd. ‘Fiscor’, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 9,364. In side-by-side comparisons conducted in Rheinberg, Germany, plants of the new Poinsettia differed primarily from plants of ‘Fiscor’ in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Poinsettia were more vigorous than plants         of ‘Fiscor’.     -   2. Plants of the new Poinsettia had longer internodes than         plants of ‘Fiscor’.     -   3. Plants of the new Poinsettia had longer leaves than plants of         ‘Fiscor’.     -   4. Plants of the new Poinsettia flowered earlier than plants of         ‘Fiscor’.     -   5. Plants of the new Poinsettia had larger flower bracts than         plants of ‘Fiscor’.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPH

The accompanying photograph illustrates the overall appearance of the new Poinsettia plant showing the colors as true as it is reasonably possible to obtain in colored reproductions of this type. Colors in the photograph may differ slightly from the color values cited in the detailed botanical description which accurately describe the colors of the new Poinsettia plant.

The photograph comprises a side perspective view of a typical flowering plant of ‘Dueouvert’ grown in a container.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

The aforementioned photograph and following observations and measurements describe plants grown during the autumn in a glass-covered greenhouse in Rheinberg, Germany and under cultural practices typical of commercial production. During the production of the plants, day and night temperatures averaged 22° C. and light levels averaged 4,500 lux. Measurements and numerical values represent averages for typical flowering plants. Single plants were grown in 12-cm containers and were pinched one time three weeks after planting. Plants were 16 weeks old when the photograph and the detailed description were taken. In the following description, color references are made to The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart, 1995 Edition, except where general terms of ordinary dictionary significance are used.

-   Botanical classification: Euphorbia pulcherrima Willd. ‘Dueouvert’. -   Parentage:     -   -   Female, or seed, parent.—Proprietary selection of Euphorbia             pulcherrima Willd. identified as code number E-05-0718, not             patented.         -   Male or pollen parent.—Proprietary selection of Euphorbia             pulcherrima Willd. identified as code number F-03-19, not             patented. -   Propagation:     -   -   Type.—Terminal vegetative cuttings.         -   Time to initiate roots, summer.—About five days at             temperatures about 20° C.         -   Time to initiate roots, winter.—About seven days at             temperatures about 20° C.         -   Time to produce a rooted young plant, summer.—About three             weeks at temperatures about 20° C.         -   Time to produce a rooted young plant, winter.—About four             weeks at temperatures about 20° C.         -   Root description.—Fine, fibrous; white in color.         -   Rooting habit.—Freely branching; dense. -   Plant description:     -   -   Plant and growth habit.—Upright to outwardly spreading and             uniformly mounded plant habit; broad inverted triangle;             inflorescences with large flower bracts positioned above the             foliar plane; vigorous growth habit.         -   Plant height.—About 25 cm.         -   Plant diameter or spread.—About 54 cm.         -   Lateral branch description.—Branching habit: Freely             branching habit, about six to seven lateral branches develop             after pinching. Length: About 16.9 cm. Diameter: About 5 mm.             Internode length: About 1.7 cm. Strength: Moderately strong.             Texture: Smooth, glabrous. Color: Close to 137A.         -   Foliage description.—Arrangement: Alternate, simple. Length:             About 12.4 cm. Width: About 8.2 cm. Shape: Ovate. Apex:             Apiculate. Base: Obtuse. Margin: Lobed; dentate. Venation             pattern: Pinnate. Texture, upper surface: Smooth, glabrous.             Texture, lower surface: Rugose, glabrous. Color: Developing             leaves, upper surface: Close to 137A. Developing leaves,             lower surface: Close to 138A. Fully expanded leaves, upper             surface: Close to 139A; venation, close to 146A. Fully             expanded leaves, lower surface: Close to 137A to 137B;             venation, close to 146B to 146C. Petiole: Length: About             6.7 cm. Diameter: About 2.6 mm. Texture, upper and lower             surfaces: Smooth, glabrous. Color, upper and lower surfaces:             Close to 187A to 187B.

Inflorescence description:

-   -   -   Inflorescence type and flowering habit.—Inflorescences are             compound corymbs of cyathia with large flower bracts             subtending the cyathia; one inflorescence per lateral branch             with inflorescences positioned above and beyond the foliar             plane.         -   Fragrance.—None detected.         -   Natural flowering season.—Plants flower naturally during             October and November in Germany; inflorescence initiation             and development can be induced under artificial long             nyctoperiod conditions; early flowering habit, response time             is about eight weeks under long nyctoperiod conditions.         -   Post-production longevity.—Excellent post-production             longevity; plants of the new Poinsettia maintain good             substance and bract color for about twelve weeks under             interior conditions.         -   Inflorescence size.—Diameter: About 25 cm. Height (depth):             About 4.2 cm.         -   Flower bracts.—Quantity per inflorescence: About 15. Length:             About 12.4 cm. Width: About 12 cm. Shape: Ovate. Apex:             Apiculate. Base: Obtuse. Margin: Entire; lobed, dentate.             Aspect: Mostly flat. Texture, upper surface: Smooth,             glabrous. Texture, lower surface: Rugose, glabrous. Venation             pattern: Pinnate. Color: Developing bracts, upper surface:             Close to 46A. Developing bracts, lower surface: Close to             53B. Transitional bracts, upper and lower surfaces: Close to             46A to 46B. Fully developed bracts, upper and lower             surfaces: Close to 46A to 46B; venation, close to 46A to             46B; color does not fade with development. Bract petiole:             Length: About 2.5 cm. Diameter: About 2 mm. Texture, upper             and lower surfaces: Smooth, glabrous. Color, upper and lower             surfaces: Close to 53A.         -   Cyathia.—Quantity per corymb: About twelve. Length: About             8 mm. Width: About 5 mm. Shape: Ovoid. Color, immature:             Inner surface: Close to 143C. Outer surface: Close to 143B.             Color, mature: Inner surface: Close to 143B. Outer surface:             Close to 143B to 143C. Nectaries: Quantity per cyathium:             One. Length: About 4 mm. Diameter: About 1 mm. Color,             immature and mature, inner surface: Close to 17A. Color,             immature and mature, outer surface: Close to 17C.         -   Peduncles.—Length: About 4 mm. Diameter: About 1 mm.             Strength: Strong. Texture: Smooth, glabrous. Color: Close to             143C.         -   Reproductive organs.—Stamens: Quantity per cyathium: About             ten. Filament length: About 7 mm. Filament color: Close to             53A. Anther shape: Oval. Anther length: About 0.5 mm. Anther             color: Close to 187A to 187B. Amount of pollen: Abundant.             Pollen color: Close to 9A. Pistils: Quantity per cyathium:             One. Pistil length: About 1 cm. Style length: About 2 mm.             Style color: Close to 144B. Stigma shape: Crested. Stigma             color: Close to 59A to 59B. Ovary color: Close to 144A.             Seeds and fruits: Seed and fruit production have not been             observed on plants of the new Poinsettia.

-   Disease & pest resistance: Plants of the new Poinsettia have not     been shown to be resistant to pathogens and pests common to     Poinsettia plants.

-   Temperature tolerance: Plants of the new Poinsettia have been     observed to tolerate temperatures ranging from about 5° C. to about     40° C. 

It is claimed:
 1. A new and distinct Poinsettia plant named ‘Dueouvert’ as illustrated and described. 